Evaluation and influence

Evaluation claims to influence public policy, professional practice and the management of organisations. What is the nature and extent of this influence? How can evaluations be made more influential? And conversely, in a rapidly changing world, what are the main influences on evaluation? To what extent is evaluation responding by taking on new approaches and technologies?

With the focus on influence, the conference builds upon the two previous conferences with their themes of evidence (Canberra 2009) and reflections on evaluation (Wellington 2010).

The conference will focus on three sub-themes:

The influence of evaluation on society

How much and in what ways does evaluation impact upon policy, practice and organisations? Where and in what circumstances does it have the most impact, and why? What are other important sources of influence, and how do they compare with evaluation?

Making an evaluation more influential

How can an evaluation be designed and conducted to increase its use and influence? What are the most persuasive ways of communicating the results of an evaluation?What role can evaluators play in implementing evaluation results? What are the lessons for evaluation from theories of influence and diffusion?

Influences shaping evaluation

How is evaluation changing in response to emerging social, economic and political issues, to increasing complexity and uncertainty, and to new approaches and technologies? What are the important influences on evaluation, and how are they shaping evaluation?

The conference can explore its theme in streams around fields such as education and research, health, human services, justice, international development, Indigenous peoples, natural resource management and the economy. We also expect a stream on design and methodology.